Palestinians looked over the damage after an Israeli airstrike struck Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip on Monday, April 7, 2025. AP
On Monday, an Israeli airstrike landed near a charity kitchen in Gaza, where many Palestinians had gathered to get cooked meals. The blast killed at least six people and injured several more. Most of the victims were women and children, according to hospital officials. The strike came at a time when food in Gaza is running dangerously low due to Israel’s monthlong blockade.
The explosion happened just outside the city of Khan Younis around midday. People were waiting in line with pots to collect food. Among the victims was a young girl, carried away with her face covered in blood. Witnesses said she and others were simply there to receive food. Samah Abu Jamie said her daughter was hurt and her nephew was killed. “They were going to get food. I told her, ‘Daughter, don’t go.’ These were children, and they had nothing with them but a pot,” she said.
The Israeli military has not commented on the kitchen strike yet.
Another strike happened outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis around 2 a.m. It hit a media tent, killing a local reporter and another person. Six journalists were hurt. The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hassan Eslaiah, who they claimed was a Hamas member pretending to be a journalist. Eslaiah, who has worked as a freelance photographer in the past, was one of the wounded. He had submitted images to news agencies in the past, but had not worked with them for over a year.
Food in Gaza is becoming more scarce every day. The charity kitchens are now some of the only sources of meals for people who have lost their homes. Many Palestinians now live in tents after their homes were destroyed. Over a month ago, Israel stopped the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials. Aid groups are warning they may run out of food by next week. One agency said it had to stop giving food boxes last week, and bakeries have closed because there’s no flour left.
In a joint statement, leaders of six major UN agencies said Gaza’s people are being “trapped, bombed, and starved.” They said claims that aid reached Gaza during the ceasefire are not true. “Commodities are running extremely low,” they warned. They called for a new ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Hospitals in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah said they received the bodies of 33 people on Monday. Nineteen were women and children. Many had died in overnight strikes, including the ones at the kitchen and the media tent. Some homes were completely destroyed. One resident, Imad Maghari, described the scene as “an earthquake,” followed by the screams of families. He said a neighbor lost five family members, including a 7-year-old boy.
The war started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed over 50,000 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials. The war has also destroyed much of the Gaza Strip and left nearly 90% of its population without homes.
Israel says it targets militants and blames Hamas for hiding among civilians. But the human toll keeps rising.
Meanwhile, protests broke out in Israel as Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Trump in Washington. Protesters demanded a new deal to bring back the remaining 59 hostages. Some fear that resuming fighting could put the hostages in more danger. Varda Ben Baruch, whose grandson Edan is one of the captives, pleaded with Netanyahu to act. “You are in the United States and you have to sit there with President Trump and close a deal so that everyone will be released home,” she said.
